Once I asked my teacher, my grandmother, why a certain man in our village never seemed to be happy, even though he had all of life's advantages — he was healthy, he had a fine family and a good job, and he even had a full head of hair. Her reply was simple but profound: "It is not possible for life to make a selfish person happy, whatever temporary satisfactions may come along. But," she added, "life cannot but give you joy if you live for the joy of others."

Eknath Easwaran, Your Life Is Your Message